SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture, Op. 96 - "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band

[@gray5817]

I swear every time I listen to a new performance of this piece it's in a different key signature

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Only three of which I know....the original in A for orchestra, the Hunsberger arrangement in A-flat, and this one in B-flat.

[@robertbeck4506]

The best performance of this piece EVER!!!!!!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Thank you!!

[@gvsucavie03]

Holy tempo!!!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Thank you!

[@bcookEastTenn]

dad gum. Somebody's been watch Santa Clara 85!!!

[@fmr86alskn]

Agreed! Way too fast for such a beautiful piece of music.

[@shykat2218]

The faster the better..... that is how we Clarinet Players work.

[@60darklord]

Ohhh... I'm sure not how i like it in Bb. But man, it is so much easier to play the runs on flute in this key.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

As the original in is A, regarding the key, one could go either way. It lays much better on the clarinet in Bb.

[@60darklord]

Lyle Francis Delp my flute professor passed out the excerpts for next semester and one of them is this piece in Ab major instead. Bleh.

[@alexiyechad3655]

60darklord playing it for Youth Symphony on flute in A maj. Blehx2 :(

[@beckr11]

Among the best recordings on KZbin.

[@michaelhung2990]

By far the best I've heard this piece but is anyone else slightly bothered by the key

[@RWBHere]

Not bothered, but please remember that this has been performed on military band instruments, with their limitations when compared to a full orchestra. Compromises will have had to be made. It is also a transcription, and there is nothing wrong with that. The transcriber will have known the capabilities of the instruments used, and will have adjusted the transcription to make it more suited to those instruments.

[@pearspeedruns]

I did notice it was different.

[@padraicfanning7055]

@@RWBHere The Donald Hunsberger transcription, which is what most people might be familiar with, is in the key of A-flat. This is in the key of B-flat, which is… different.

[@markrogers9060]

@@padraicfanning7055 Wrong. This transcription is in the original key of A. Using a full section of A Clarinets.

[@padraicfanning7055]

@@markrogers9060 From the liner notes: ( www.marineband.marines.mil/Portals/175/Docs/Audio/Educational_Series/feste/feste.pdf ) "Listeners accustomed to Hunsberger’s setting may notice that the version transcribed by the Marine Band’s Staff Arranger Master Sergeant Donald Patterson sounds considerably brighter in tone. Shostakovich scored Festive Overture in A major, a key that is conducive to rapid technique for orchestral instruments, but is not nearly as friendly to most band instruments. Hunsberger addressed this problem by lowering the music one half-step to the key of A-flat, a choice that yields a rich, dark orchestral timbre, but presents some technical challenges for some of the instruments. Patterson went in the opposite direction and raised the original by one half-step to B-flat. The chief advantage of Patterson’s approach is that technical passages are more easily negotiated by all the instruments, thus allowing for a tempo more consistent with the brisker “Presto” one often hears in orchestral performances. While there is no doubt that Hunsberger’s setting will continue to occupy its rightful position as the authoritative transcription of Festive Overture, we offer our own version as an alternate means of presenting Shostakovich’s classic score to band audiences."

[@huskerguy100]

Outstanding! Took me a second to figure it was in b flat. Although I am a dark sound guy(bass clarinet in wind ensemble,contra in drum corps), the brightness lends itself well to the lightness and just flat out SPEED of the ensemble. Absolutely love it! Bravo!!

[@mlefeb]

huskerguy100 It’s supposed to be in A Major originally anyway, which the Ab version took away that bright feeling, but this is so much better than moving it down a half step honestly even though it’s still not what Shostakovich intended but it sounds good.

[@neaultp21]

"Faster than a speeding bullet!"

[@rexsagle8499]

We just started to rehearse this great overture. what a lot of fun, such a an inspiring piece of music

[@jmeyer3rn]

Amazing, awesome. First heard this performed by IU music clinic students when my daughter played f horn in high school.

[@tl1358]

Holy damn! I don't think an orchestra could have played it any faster!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Search KZbin for Fiedler and the Boston Pops.

[@AmIsraelChai85]

@@LyleFrancisDelp or the incredibly notorious performance of Bernstein with London. I think....

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

@@AmIsraelChai85 I don’t know that one.

[@AmIsraelChai85]

@@LyleFrancisDelp I will try to find which one I'm thinking of. I think I was mistaken, I can't find Bernstein at ridiculous speeds. May have been one of them Fad conductors somewhere in the 70s

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

@@AmIsraelChai85 Fiedler was in the 70s. And he was going at “ludicrous speed”. (Those Mel Brooks fans will understand)

[@twistedwoodworks]

Love the key, which is easier for a symphonic band to play. Now I will not listen to a recording of this that is over 6 minutes. Brilliant performance!

[@jmcrml1386]

In this version clarinet Bb has the same score than clarinet A in orchestral symphonic version. Holly tempo !!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Exactly!!!

[@christianreis7091]

Bravo!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@johnfrazier536]

Beautiful playing by ALL, me thinks I know who played the solo!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Which solo is that? The clarinet is doubled in the original, and is so here as well. Horn solo? The original has one horn with full viola section. Here, the entire horn section is used instead. (Check out Fiedler's recording with the Boston Pops...also on KZbin.)

[@rhwallis]

@@LyleFrancisDelp Isn't the original scored for cello section (rather than violas) and horn? I've definitely heard it with the cellos.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Rhwallis Yes. My error.

[@wildhornbrass]

Reef it!

[@丸山正紀]

凄い　名演奏です　日本に来ないかな、

[@からりえ]

日本に来たじゃん✨🙆

[@丸山正紀]

@@からりえ アポ、

[@malarky9292]

One could say that.

[@_rhen]

I'll admit that I like this better than the Hunsberger. Retains the festiveness better played higher rather than lower in my opinion

[@JorgePerez-uc4ud]

Great Performance.

[@stuartjackson1565]

This is much closer to the tempi I'm used to hearing from orchestral performances of this work. I don't know if a band could play the Hunsberger transcription that fast because of the euphonium part. As a euphonium player, I'd be bummed if I was playing this arrangement but, speaking as a listener, this is much more exciting. Having said all that, I like it in A-flat better. B-flat is just too bright.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

BTW, I've always found that particular euphonium passage much too cumbersome and out of character with the spirit and energy of the work. Everything here needs to be light and agile.

[@yaboyjosh8894]

Stuart Jackson Carolina Forest High school did

[@gavyntapp7689]

My honor band is doing the Ab version at this tempo so...

[@samuelnyarko3051]

℗ 2009 Not On Label Limited

[@samuelnyarko3051]

March 12, 2009

[@samuelnyarko3051]

Something went wrong

[@BCoulter9110]

Is this arrangement available to purchase? I definitely like this arrangement, even better than Donald Hunsberger's transcription.

[@aeroplano111]

Byron Coulter It's arranged by D. Patterson. He is the chief staff arranger for the Marine Band. I'm quite sure it's not for sale. As far as what else you said, this is certainly a good arrangement, but, (being a euphonium player)... it doesn't have the crazy euphonium part of the Hunsberger! (Unfortunately)

[@BCoulter9110]

Kyle Aufderhar Yeah, I guess that definitely makes sense. And I can definitely understand where you're coming from being a euphonium player. I will admit that the Hunsberger is still exceptional. It's just that this arrangement really grabbed my attention. :)

[@aeroplano111]

Byron Coulter Then again, we euphoniumists wouldn't grow nearly as many grey hairs over this arrangement. No stress!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Alas, not available for purchase as the original is under copyright and the Marine Band secured permission to arrange.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

The euphonium part is quite challenging, especially at this tempo. But, yes...you are correct in that it doesn't have that one very nasty passage.

[@waynebritton1436]

Are we sure that isn't just the Marine band's recording manually sped up. I just listened to another President's Own that was in a lower key and a more traditional tempo. They are both from 7 years ago. This sounds like the same recording just with the speed jacked up. Why would they record one the same year in 2 different keys and 2 different tempos. Just posing a question.

[@waynebritton1436]

Even the fanfare was faster.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

A different transcription in a different key. The key of Bb allows the clarinets to “lay” much more comfortably on the instrument, much like playing the original on an “A” clarinet. This, coupled with the Marine Band’s amazing virtuosity, allows for the quicker tempo. I assure you, this recording was not artificially altered in any way.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

@waynebritton1436. Oh...and the other recording of the standard Hunsberger arrangement is from many years ago, but only recently uploaded to KZbin.

[@DrakeLovett]

It is evident that it starts just a bit too fast (after the intro of course), as the woodwinds sound ever so slightly panicked, it does slow throughout until it gets settled and then sounds absolutely amazing. It was interesting to hear it in Bb, not sure if I like the Ab or the Bb more, would probably be easier for everyone in Bb though.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I assure you...the woodwinds were completely in control of the piece...never panicked.

[@calbaird706]

French horns go off ngl

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

What does this mean?

[@VallejoBrawler]

This is not a good reference recording for mere humans.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

And yet...mere humans are playing it.

[@yaboyjosh8894]

Carolina forest high school played it just as good as the marines.

[@yaboyjosh8894]

And man it was fun to play.

[@anthonyalessandrini3240]

I seriously doubt that they did😏

[@alexiyechad3655]

Anthony Alessandrini NO ONE does it like the marines.